10 Lyja's Game
by redcloudedleopard
Summary: Enter Lyja, the sneaky Skrull. I hope I've put an interesting spin on it. Please review!
1. Good Morning Turned Bad

The two Skrulls bowed upon making eye contact.

"Lyja."

"Commander."

"I understand that the Empress favours you over most other Skrulls for your skill in shapeshifting."

The female Skrull standing sleek & proud then said, "Yes. I have many times served Her to carry out direct orders." Her hair was longer than any other of her Skrull neighbours, so long that she tied it up a ponytail & didn't wear head guards like the rest. She currently held a high position as Skrull army leader-to-be.

Kl'rt's chortle filled the silent spaceship cockpit, the view of the outside overlooking planet Earth's surface. He continued, "Then you are ready for an important mission. If - you are willing to trust me as your superior."

"Of course, Commander. We both understand that you mean well in your alliance..._with Ronan the Accuser._"

"Very good, Lyja. Our people fail to see the potential in Kree science for our world, but you have the understanding I have longed for," Super Skrull smiled & narrowed his eyes.

"What is it I have to do?" Lyja asked.

"Bring me the Human Torch. You will work _alone_. The Skrulls' previous encounter with the Fantastic Four involved many of us, but still proved unsuccessful. This time, we try again with the element of _stealth_."

"Why not recapture all four of them?"

"That comes later. Ronan demands that we hand him the Human Torch - he must first have revenge on him. Only then will I obtain the Kree's new genetic keys for our army of Super Skrulls. _Use_ your cunning abilities to reel the Human Torch into our trap."

"At once, Commander. You have my trust."

***

"No, you slide like_ this_," Azula corrected Johnny's footing, "Each leg as bendy as bamboo, yet deadly as steel."

"& your body's light like air & heavy as lead. I get it," Johnny replied, though more cheerfully & enthusiastically than rudely.

"C'mon, do it again."

Ben & Sue had decided to watch the session this morning. Johnny's mood seemed to spell good news, yet he hadn't acted this way during kung fu lessons until just recently. The two spectators retreated to a quieter corner of the training room to chat at low volume.

"Ya think he likes her?" giggled Ben under his breath.

"Oh, yes....," Sue grinned in response.

Minutes passed before Johnny felt the strain of the workout. "_Owww_....can we call it a day? My head, it's heavy. & I'm starving," he muttered. He lay down on the ground & let out his breath in long exhalations. His tongue hung out a little, much to the amusement of the others.

"Wow. Someone's sweating profusely," Sue commented.

"Aww, is Matchstick having a hard time? I wouldn't even break a sweat," Ben mocked.

Johnny pointed at him, still on the ground but looking at his mocker, "You just wait till I breathe normally, Brick Head..." He eventually got up & dusted his yellow tracksuit while flexing each muscle that ached.

"Fine. Breakfast," his 'sensei' replied, putting both hands on her hips. She was satisfied - he'd done two hours straight, which he wouldn't even consider when he'd started. His stamina had certainly increased, along with his reaction time & even strength. If Azula was caught off guard by one of his punches or kicks now, she'd feel the power his muscles were utilizing more efficiently with each day. When the training would be complete was food for thought, in her opinion. But she hadn't brought up that question in her head until yesterday. With that they did some cooling down & left the training room, letting their legs carry them to the kitchen area. Johnny was undoubtedly hungry; he walked beside Azula in front while Ben along with Sue followed behind.

"What's cooking today, Blue Blaze?" Ben questioned Azula, catching up with her in a couple of hurried steps.

"It's a secret," Azula grinned sneakily. Mouthwatering Chinese pancakes were gonna be up for grabs at the breakfast table. Thank the heavens she found_ all_ the ingredients during last night's shopping trip with Sue.

"We _love_ everything you've cooked so far. I'm pretty excited for today in particular," said Sue most pleasantly, "You're amazing at both Eastern & Western dishes."

Out of the blue Azula asked Johnny, "Come to think of it, Hotstuff...why did you ask for training anyway? All those weeks ago? & from me, of all people? Now _that's_ weird." She asked casually although the actual fact was the question would invite interesting answers....Moreover, she found it nice thinking of how long it may take for him to answer that one.

Johnny was thinking about that nightmare he had. Nobody else had any knowledge of it; he could keep it a lowdown all these days, compared to many other instances where he was called a blabbermouth. The dream had left him dazed if his thoughts wandered far enough to reach it. Something about it had produced a spark or two in him i.e. a new, irritating but persistent sensation. "I, uhmm..good question," he scratched his head. His body tired, but his words carried boundless energy. That changed in a split second. The energy suddenly seemed..dissipated.

"Oh, come on," said Azula, more friendly now.

A brain freeze, thought Johnny. He asked himself the same questions, trying to churn out the memory of why he had decided to go against his cocky nature. To take martial arts classes from an acquaintance younger than himself. Boy, was he forgetful on many levels! It then dawned on him. He was sensitive & whiny about nearly everything that bothered him, no matter how small the problem it posed. Except one very dark corner of his past. When it came to this subject, he was more than whiny - he was down in the dumps for short periods of time. 'Quiet', 'non-smiling'...words like these would describe him despite running counter to the Johnny Storm the outside world knew. He called smart people 'nerds' & was sometimes tempted to call the grouchy ones 'emo'. At this moment, he was afraid he was sinking into his occasionally 'emo' self. _Nobody could ever, ever see that side of him. _

He fought an urge to say to himself, "I hate myself." He recalled all in one go that overcast morning he spent downtown, in his V10. The little kid with his mom, about to cross the road. That was an ordinary, pretty sweet sight to everyone who wasn't a victim of childhood trauma. To poor Johnny (not forgetting Sue), stuff like that would trigger memories of their mom that stuck in his mind. It was true that when they were outdoors on a mission or being interviewed, there were lots of kids hanging out with their parents. But really, you wouldn't set your mind on staring at people when you were 100% absorbed in yourself, & the 'awesome' things you could do. On that gloomy day, Johnny happened to be so bored that he accidentally saw the two people in a _very different light_. This is what it was like personally for the Human Torch. It sounded somewhat 'emo' but **only a heart at peace could really give life to his body. **He & his sister still had that void inside, though it obviously shrunk with the passing years. That void was meant for Mary Storm to fill. Not a status as superheroes, not flashy cars, not anything else.**  
**

Azula's questions weren't answered.

"Oh, I forgot! I gotta do some stuff downtown...Be back later!" he blurted out, partly lapsing out of the emoness. He walked briskly in the direction of his room, probably to grab some things before leaving.

"I don't think you wanna miss this, Little Brother..," Sue responded, puzzled. Ben, Azula & she had eyes fixed on Johnny.

"Didn't ya just say you're hungry?" asked Ben.

"I'll just grab my own breakfast!" Johnny yelled at them all in a sharp way. Not that he was angry, but the three thought it strange seeing him in a rush. & to add a little to the mystery, he wasn't walking now. He _ran_ out of sight in a flash.

-------

Read the story "To Fight Fire with Fire or Not" if you haven't already. You'll understand what's goin' on with Johnny at the moment.


	2. The Pranky Afternoon

A brown eyed woman with a russet satchel slung around her body stood by the Baxter Building entrance. From the corner of one eye, she spotted a vibrantly painted car speed across the street, heading north to another part of the metropolis. In the driver's seat of the same car she saw the person her eyes had been searching for. She now got the green light...to execute the plan. Gracefully she made her way up the building steps, & entered. Another lady who worked at the lobby rubbed her eyes. _Was it an optical illusion or did she just witness an something unusual? _There had been an attractive woman clad in a white jacket & knee length skirt making her way through the entrance doors. She wasn't anywhere to be seen in a blink of an eye. The lady curiously surveyed the vicinity; Johnny suddenly entered the lobby & walked pretty quickly to the elevator, closing its doors with the touch of a button. Although a little worried, the lady decided to get back to her work. If you were anywhere near the Fantastic Four, Blue Dragon or Leopard X, funny things happened, she thought. Lyja had easily fooled her with some neat shapeshifting. _  
_

Ozai was helping Reed upstairs - with a small part of his invention that might cure Ben when the time was ripe. The scientists were deeply engrossed, cutting down on the chit chat; they didn't say a word unless it was regarding the procedure. Reed's best friend was patient (surprisingly but fortunately!) to wait for his miracle cure, but since their experience with switching powers, Reed had grown desperate to push aside other possible inventions. He picked a good day to start this project as Ozai himself had time on his own hands.

"H.E.R.B.I.E., bring up the file 'isolate dot e-l-f," Reed spelled a file name. H.E.R.B.I.E. did so instantaneously.

"I better copy them all to my portable," Ozai suggested, "if a supervillain shows up this morning, they'll go down the drain.."

"You're right," said Reed. On his PDA, Ozai prepared to round up all the large files & store them safely when Johnny came up the floor elevator. "Hey, nerds," he greeted them in his usual way. "Oh, hello, Johnny," Reed greeted him back. "Whatcha doin' today, Doc?" asked Johnny. "I thought your robot's always in top shape..."

"Reed & I are actually working on Ben's cure," replied Ozai.

"What, to make him human again? I hope you'll give him a makeover for the worst instead," Johnny snickered. The two ignored his words. Even Ozai was accustomed to Johnny's mirth. Fortunately he had been pranked by the Human Torch not once since the day he & Azula moved in.

"Oooo, think I can help out?" was Johnny's next question. He got excited, & really, really unexpectedly, he shoved Reed a little aside. Right away, he started _attacking_ Reed's broad keyboard with his fingertips!

"NO!!!! Johnny -," shouted Reed. Ozai had been rendered speechless as well, & couldn't back his friend up with a word of advice to the crazy teen.

H.E.R.B.I.E. panicked, "Jonathan?! What are you doing? Dr. Richards files are being saved! You're..unprotecting them! No!! DON'T EVEN THINK ABOUT DELETING THEM!!" Johnny slammed a larger button with loud warning colours to end his craze, laughing madly. In a matter of seconds, the important files that were being transferred vanished from the big screen. Poor Reed couldn't contain himself & he non-hesitantly bellowed aloud, "_I don't have time for this!!_!!! This is going to incur your sister's wrath!" It was rare for him to boom like this, but should he display temper tantrums, he frequently stopped at the first sentence. As one saying goes** a hot-tempered man stirred up dissension, but a patient man calmed a quarrel. **As the FF leader & smartest man on the planet, Reed was _wise _to be more like the latter!

"More like the wrath of two nerds!" Johnny retorted with a nasty goblin grin.

The scientists stared at him with faces that looked like they already exploded.

"Could you just leave? Now? Please?" Reed forced the words out, slapping a palm to his face. He was seconds away from hyperventilating.

"Alright, then. I'll just be on my way," Johnny added with another snicker while doing an arm stretch. He dashed to the elevator which moved downward. The last of him was his implike expression which almost sent Reed into another emotional outburst.

"I hate to say this Reed, but that........that was intriguing," Ozai broke the silence.

"Ughhh. Never mind," sighed Reed with as much expression as he could let out.

Lyja managed a sinister smile under her disguise as the elevator went lower. Luck took her side - if Reed had had special glasses on, she may have been discovered.

Downstairs, Ben was trotting along the corridor to catch his TV show. The better the show, the more he yearned for some privacy & quietness, or even room for himself to comment or complain. A nearby digital clock struck 3.00P.M., & he tapped the remote. Yet the screen refused to turn on for him. Time & time again he got the same result out of a touch of the remote's power button (& his little light 'taps' were getting closer to breaking the remote...) Letting out a grunt had stopped him short of destroying the device in the nick of time.

He decided to examine what was behind the screen instead. A sizzling noise got his attention; it reminded him of a those Oriental claypot dishes, funnily enough. He thought for a sec about his relishing the "All You Can Eat" status in the city restaurants. For a moment he fumbled around to feel for anything that might raise an eyebrow, but given the uncomfortable position he was in, his large body wouldn't allow him to squeeze into the cavity without hurting the wall & TV itself.

Sure enough, the 'sizzling' mystery was solved by his finding. He felt the wires - they were burnt to a crisp. Still freshly hot, which meant they'd been burnt not more than minutes ago. & a power outlet wouldn't crisp them up so much as this. He knew fairly well from experience whether Johnny or a lightning bolt fried the wiring of equipment. His nonhuman fingertips, in spite of being less sensitive, could still let him know the _one person_ who did this.

"JOHNNYYYYY!!!!!!!!" the TV area shook.

-----------

Has my language quality been reduced in some way??? Apologies if you agree. :'( I'm beat today lol.


	3. Pranks & Cranks

The study was Sue's hangout on any day that bored her, the place where her personal interests flourished & manifested themselves. Always laid out was a large art pad on which she could doodle or use as a jotter, part of a mannequin for her occasional fashion designs, loads of books, & more. She had gone on a lovely shopping spree that afternoon in the heart of the city, sparing half an hour to grab necessary groceries in her way back. Fortunately for her it was a busy Wednesday - the paparazzi were most likely the least active on this day of the week for unexplainable reasons. Thus, Sue didn't have to be so much a character on the lam & could more or less shop in peace. She was a bit puzzled by how everybody did their own thing today, which wasn't that healthy for the team. Anxieties about the FF lacking precious quality time nibbled at her mind.

She returned to the comforts of the penthouse & systematically kept away everything purchased before she'd retreat to the study. Somnolent & almost yawning which resulted from the 'lazy afternoon' feel, she slid the room door open. To her utter dismay, an incredibly unkempt state of the whole room welcomed her. Most of the mess appeared burnt black. She had half a mind to rip out her hair. Already her hands were clasped tight to her temples, nails just about reaching the roots of the strands of hair.

"What the - ?" Who would have the gall to....?" she croaked.

"Hey, sis!" said someone behind her.

"Johnny? Are you possibly the author of this _mess_?" Sue narrowed her eyes. Her voice came out in broken chunks.

"Just a little kung fu craziness....Ben booked the training room," her brother smirked, "I got some awesome _kicks_ up my sleeve. Ha ha ha ha! Get it???" He raised his arms up high with the fists clenched.

"Arghhhh, Johnny! Do you realize how much work is required to clean up?!"

"Nope." Another provocative grin formed on his face.

"You're in need of some _intellectual nourishment_! You've already gone out today, so grab some brooms & the vacuum cleaner & get back here this instant!!!"

"Ooo, sorry sis. I didn't mean to upset you. I....kinda got some plans to...fly around the city for a bit," Johnny snickered yet again.

"Listen here, Little Brother -"

"Too late! Gotta go!" he yelled while immediately breaking into a sprint in the direction of the elevator. Sue thought she heard some more childish guffawing as she ran clumsily after him. He was gone when she turned a corner of the hallway. She whispered in disappointment, "Be safe....," as she shook her head a couple of times.

Safe in the elevator, Lyja breathed a great sigh of relief. Not at all bad for a Skrull working alone to get past extremely high-tech security. Her exodus was smooth indeed; many thanks going to a Skrull agent who had informed her that the real Johnny was about to arrive back here. She had to think fast for she couldn't change form in front of the elevator security camera. Nevertheless she had an aptitude for the quick thinking; she'd find a way out in no time.

At the ground floor the elevator opened. Still in the form of Johnny, she slinked out of the building under watchful eyes of the people in the lobby. The lady who nearly caught her in action hours ago had told the rest to be on guard. However, to their naked eyes Johnny appeared to be a busy bee today. & unfortunately that was regular on his watch if his superhero services weren't put to use. Lyja made a clean getaway. Outside on the streets, she found a dark alley & transformed herself into a man clothed in hues of similiar darkness. She still spoke with her feminine voice into her communicator. "Commander Kl'rt, the plan is halfway to completion."

A gruff voice responded, "Good."

"I have led the Human Torch's teammates to assume he did much damage to their...residence. They will express much dislike toward him."

"Excellent. If it works well, he'll be alone. & vulnerable. Tonight you must capture him once & for all."

That instant, Lyja discarded her apparent worry about not having time to prank Azula, who was chilling in the basement lab & talking with L.Y. She had wanted to, but Johnny was going to enter the building. This she didn't tell to Kl'rt. She confided in her efforts so far, so much that she laughed to herself quietly.

***

Minutes after Lyja left, Johnny returned from a long day's outing looking drained & well, not exactly his bubbly self. The lobby workers eyed him, but not suspiciously. "Poor guy's got nuthin' left to do," one man said to the other, chuckling softly. "Maybe _too much_ to do downtown," a woman told them. They weren't anywhere close to being correct.

An emo Wednesday it was (although New York received great sunshine) for Johnny. The morning had ruined it all. The whole thing about _Mom_ got the better of him. Again. _It was Zed's fault! Since she moved in, every time she was around to teach her kung fu!_ But somehow it wasn't her being in the wrong. Once again the dream he had replayed itself in his head, resulting in the feeling that canceled out his negative thoughts. All these swirling motions numbed him after a while, & before he could grow frustrated again, he chucked the mess in his brain aside. He stepped into the elevator with a sigh nearly loud enough for the people to pick up.

"JONATHAN SPENCER STORM!"

"FLAME BRAIN!"

"JOHNNY!"

Three or four voices overlapped when Johnny heard his name being called many times, all differently, at the same time. The lift doors opened to a row of infuriated faces. His sister had arms crossed; Ben was holding some cleaning equipment & Reed & Ozai stood straight & rigid. He was more awake now that a surprise like this nearly made him jump. His head was hanging, but he looked up to listen for more words which were hopefully not too harsh & terse.

"What is it with your mind? How many times have I gotta ask if you've lost it?" Sue yelled with volume bursting from her lungs.

"Johnny, we need to have a word with you. Now," muttered Reed very strictly.

"Precisely. Why would you want to delete our files, damage a whole room of Sue's things & not let Ben watch his show?" asked Ozai on an authoritative note.

"& all that in ONE DAY!!" boomed Ben, who was unarguably the loudest.

"Wait, what?? Guys, I swear I didn't do all this!" said Johnny, shell-shocked.

"No, Johnny. Get a grip," said Sue.

"Get your booty into Susie's room, Matchstick. & clean it up!" Ben instructed.

"& this is what you dislike most, but say you're sorry," Reed told him.

Azula entered the corridor from the lab elevator, cupping a medium-sized recipe book in one hand. Her focus shifted right away to the commotion. Great. A big hullabaloo before I prepare dinner..., she thought.

"I have no idea what you're all talking about!" Johnny raised his tone by a number of notes.

"Yer can't run away. This has gone too far," answered Ben.

"Look, I said I didn't do ANYTHING!" shouted Johnny. He burst into fierce flames to attempt to ward them further back. But he didn't figure how bad the timing was to lose his cool.

A rush of cold liquid quenched his ignited body - Ben dumped all the water in the bucket he held onto him! He ended up sprawled on the floor, choking a few times.

"Now that's whatcha get when you pull too many pranks a day," Ben concluded.

"One too many...," commented Reed.

When he was done coughing out the water, Johnny picked himself up. The bucket attack dampened his temper but had drowned out the possibility of a good mood in addition. "Fine, you don't want me in here? I'll just scram!" he said at the top of his voice.

"Come back when you feel you can mouth out 'sorry' to all of us," Sue added, now calmer. She was actually hurt inside too. What was being done wasn't the easiest of things, but was ever so necessary.

Johnny turned away, throwing Azula a cold stare in the process, then walked into the elevator. Not wanting anyone to see his expression, he shut the door. Azula let out a deep breath. She recalled Johnny's look directed at her a moment back. Then she asked herself to choose whether she ought to **hear him out, & bear his weaknesses if he was without strength to control his outpouring.** The other choice was to please herself with her skills in the kitchen...


	4. Allured & Ambushed

The tension subsided; the others all went back to do their thing & Azula pretended to head to the kitchen. She stood over a countertop to get some thinking over with. Time slipped past silently & swiftly. Only in less than 5 minutes, she chucked the recipe book aside before hurrying one floor down. Quickly she told H.E.R.B.I.E. to ask if Ben order pizza or do the cooking tonight in place of her. "Sure thing, Azula," came the computer's chirpy & polite reply. He wasn't bothered enough by her sense of urgency to ask her about whereabouts was her destination.

In sixty seconds, Azula rummaged through her belongings in the unit. Her thoughts ran at a speedy pace through her mind but were not reckless, she had capability to pull off tasks meticulously. Dad was hanging around upstairs still, & she dashed out the apartment front door undisturbed by any concerns. Her concentration was on Johnny & getting him back together. Perhaps she'd even choke answers to her previous questions out of him.

***

The "Pranna Nightclub". In front of him neon lights shaped an entrance to another world of bizarre colours & tunes that went "Boom! Boom! Boom!" It seemed to be the best choice by far. Johnny got down from his bike, helmet still strapped on. He hadn't smiled for hours, literally. The emoness ate at him till his head seemed to droop tiredly. It was a boring but somewhat arduous day. But something stopped him short. Was an hour or two at a bar _really_ able to remedy him tonight? He ruled out riding around the city again (for the third time that day if he did); it had gotten him bored out of his mind already. Going back to the Baxter Building? Not a chance. The penthouse floor was teeming with a bunch of grumpy people who pinned three consecutive pranks on his innocent person. He _DIDN'T SPOIL THE TV, DELETE THE NERDS' FILES & WRECK SUE'S STUDY._

It felt real satisfying, launching _the cold look_ at Zed's face just before he left. Took some of the rage off his shoulders just before he would explode internally. The caramel eyes belonging to her had made her look scared. Good for her. Today was seriously giving him the blues & he even came to wish badly for a villain's onslaught to vent more anger. & most importantly, he used ounces of mental energy to block any thoughts that wanted to scream "I miss you, Mom & Dad." About Mom, he clung to the notion that she was...gone. Forever. Ughhh, it hurt bad. Regarding Dad, there was a 50% chance he was alive, & 50% that he was gone, too. Johnny didn't want or need or think about knowing. Another time he wrapped up all these little annoying sentences & moved them into an invisible garbage can.

_"I love you, Johnny!!!!" _screamed some girl several metres away. Her skin looked tan, matching well with her dark reddish hair (dyed, maybe) & ruddy brown eyes that looked partially like burning crimson. She was posing like a doll dying to be taken off the shelf, whether or not she was aware of it. Two other girls were with her. Johnny wasn't taken by surprise or anything. This happened often with his throng of female fans. Okay, maybe this'll make me let off the steam...in a nice way, he thought to himself. He put a mask on his inner feelings & switched to 'Show Off Mode'.

"Shush up, you!" a friend of the girl scolded her.

"Hello, ladies...what's kickin'?" asked Johnny who pulled off his 'hot' look. He paced toward them in a way that'd may be called 'half dancing'.

"Nothing much....we're sorta bored tonight."

The third girl who hadn't yet opened her mouth sighed dreamily. She had to lean for balance on the tan girl or her three-inch heels might trip her up.

"Listen, M. Kara & I are gonna shop. You wanna date him so badly? It's fine for us," the irritated girl told the tan one.

"No duhhhh! I'm dating him alright. Is that fine with you.....Johnny?" said M.

Johnny was in a momentary lapse, eyes staring into space. "Wh - what? Yeah! Sure!"

"C'ya, girl," M's grumpy friend told her. The other quiet chic still said nothing.

"So....is it gonna be Pranna right here? I'm Megan, by the way!" the girl chirped merrily, "You're not dating anyone else, are you? Just to make sure.."

"Nah, somewhere else is better. You pick. & no, I ain't with anyone else," Johnny replied. He confirmed with himself non-verbally that he wasn't gonna date Frankie again, & no, neither was he wanting to be seen in public alone with Azula!

"Oh yay! Let's walk 'n talk," squeaked Megan.

The two picked a quieter street buzzing with less activity. Inevitably, they had to suffer a few stares from curious passers-by. Good news: No paparazzi roaming about. & hopefully none of these people would spill new hot stories or gossip the next morning to be lapped up by gullible millions. Megan was a lengthy talker, just as he'd predicted. She told him she'd been dying to get her Human Torch poster signed, but that she forgot to place it in her handbag tonight. Tens of other subjects followed. Johnny wandered into another concentration lapse, but struggled to listen to her. Was it really difficult to keep the emoness under control??? He ached to kick himself or do a 'face palm'.

He missed out most of what Megan rambled on about until they came to an even quieter place. Only two or three restaurants down this lane. She prodded him with an urgent finger. "I need to make a call. You okay with that?" she asked tenderly.

"Ah, sure."

She took out her cellphone & strolled into a dimmer corner, back now against the wall. He remained standing near her & let his mind wander once more whilst he scanned his surroundings. Lower lighting featured strongly in almost every nook & cranny of where they were now. A beep brought back his attention; his little communicator was still in his left pocket, now beckoning for him to answer the call. Oh crud, he said in his mind.

"Johnny, make your way back now. Azula is missing in action & we need to find her. & we can peacefully continue talking much later." It was Reed on the other end of the line.

"No can do. Not until you believe I'm innocent when it comes to _'one too many pranks'...._," answered Johnny. He had missed out Reed's sentence about Zed. He fixed his decision to put the little device away & shut it up. Just then a strong force beat against his frame, clamping both his wrists. The force hurled him to the side in a very sharp turn & he rolled into a the side of dumpster.

_"Now I have you......,"_ a sinister dark sound muttered. It came from Megan's lips as she towered over Johnny as a silhouette highlighted by what little light could reach into the alleyway. Looking around to confirm that no one was watching, she changed form. Her irises turned fully crimson now, with black, empty scleras behind them. The Skrull growled eerily but low enough not to create a stir.

"Step away from the Human Torch, alien!" barked Johnny, balling both fists in preparation for a 'Flame On!'. **Not once had the hope of the superhero perished when he was afflicted.** Help was always on the way, & the thought of that fueled his confidence - he wasn't in a position to give in.

"Why should I listen if I'm pitted against _one_ puny opponent?" cackled Lyja. She added, "Face it. You're alone without your _entire team_."

"Hey, Skrull!" a different voice yelled from above. Lyja gasped, head whirling in every direction until she located another moving shadow a little higher than her. The shadow leapt into the air; out of its hands burned hot streams of blue as it prepared to land. Johnny cocked his head at a proper angle to recognize Azula.

------

This is the second last chapter. Apologies if this is getting lengthy!


	5. The Night Quietens

"Leave him be," said Azula. Lest she was against a deadly, lithe adversary in this battle, she kept her head low & her body ready.

Lyja snarled under her breath.

"Zed, you came!" squealed Johnny an octave higher than normal.

"That does not guarantee a victory on your side of the fight," Lyja gnashed her teeth.

Azula seized the moment to unleash one lethal attack up her sleeve: somersaulting in mid-air to let her legs 'draw' a flaming wheel & release it upon the unprepared Skrull. The fire looked as solid as a brightly lit comet, blasting into Lyja. She flew ten feet, banging against the brick wall with a groan emanating from her throat. Johnny flamed on to hover in the air & attack from a safe distance.

Now Lyja had maximum drive to fulfill her duty, irrespective of what the earthlings saw. Besides, Kl'rt had been exposed to view in public - even worse, he was alongside the Kree empire's Accuser when it happened. Many Skrulls witnessed that very event as well, meaning her superior already had it far worse than she would have tonight.

Waiters & diners at the restaurants caught sight of blue, white, yellow & orange bursts of light coming from the alley. A couple of nosy parkers stepped closer to look around the blind corner & watch.

Johnny performed an aerial kick, stunning the alien in time for Azula to deliver some uppercuts to her jaw. People might comment that Azula's fighting style was much like a boy's sometimes. Well guess what? She'd favour that very much! One of her key goals was to really toughen up.

Lyja probably wasn't aware of her poor footing. Johnny could trip her up with a cool spin attack (hot flames adding to the punch it packed) to further weaken her legs. However, she mustered her remaining strength, balancing the body weight on her bent legs to attain stability; she had lowered her center of gravity. Then she decided to reveal her monstrous side; wings grew from under her lower arms & extended outward. Her size was augmented by a few feet & she towered above each opponent. Her eyes flared with a stronger red as her hissing became louder as well.

"Think of something, Hotstuff!"

"I _AM_ thinking!!"

Johnny located a nearby fire hydrant, but his gaze was on a long chain blocking off some entrance to an abandoned site. He quickly said, "Zed, the chain!"

Azula saw it in a split second & crisscrossed her hands gracefully, before lashing them out in violent motion to release twin azure blasts that appeared together as an 'X' shape. Each blast struck opposite ends of the chain that linked it to two posts, slicing the chain free for use as an additional fighting tool. Johnny rapidly grabbed the chain & begin a performance of his tornado move. Lyja's reflexes were poor enough to enable the two to make their decisions. Johnny engulfed their adversary in vivid orange heat, the chain wrapping tighter & tighter around Lyja's figure. She started wailing like some lunatic - the noise which implied her confidence too was failing her already. Finally she fell to her knees with a face that cringed hard. "Gotcha!" yelled Johnny triumphantly. Alien growls & more hissing cut through the air. Johnny backed away whilst Azula approached the Skrull to melt & seal the ends of the chain. But she noticed the face of the alien change, though. It was a pleased countenance....Lyja opened her eyes & shapeshifted into a smaller form: a crow, as her alien race often did whenever they'd set foot on this planet. The crow flapped it's ebony wings & took flight to escape.

"Aww, nuts!" whined Johnny, launching fireballs as an attempt at felling the fowl. Azula tried along with him, but to no avail. Their target had diminished greatly in size & camouflaged well at this time of day. She got away as she faded into the black above; however it was good for the two that they were both still standing.

"Bahh!! Good riddance!" exclaimed Johnny.

"I'd say I grab a snack now. C'mon. Let's go," said Azula.

"What? You mean..._me & you?"_ Johnny asked, about to scratch his head. This was getting most embarrassingly ominous.

Azula's facial muscles were no longer relaxed either. She answered many, many thumping heartbeats later, "You've got something going on. Something you're not telling. Maybe it's time to spit it out." She retained an earnest look that bothered Johnny so much: it nearly shook his insides.

He retorted, "Don't know whatcha talking about."

_"Then what's been going on with you today?"_

A pause filled the gap for a while. "Okay look, I ain't spitting anything out till I eat anything. Capeesh?" he responded.

She sighed as she had been doing almost every time she was with him, "Fine, then."

***

"Just one hamburger. That's all."

"Just a minute, Torch."

Johnny heard a low hum of voices behind him. So many of the words were apparently about him. Some girl mentioned seeing Megan & three other guys talked about the 'fireworks" happening in an alley a number of streets away. He was on the brink of telling them to shut it; their speech seemed to tickle his ears in such an infuriating way.

Once he paid for his dinner he cut through the queue & dashed out. It felt rather late but more New Yorkers poured in as he was forcing his way out. He bit into the burger while running pretty fast, even charging headlong to the astonishment of a few pedestrians. The people who recognized him must've thought it unusual for him to be the way he was that day. He worked his way around the block & last to meet Azula there, where people weren't likely to become peeping Toms. She held her dinner, wrapped nicely in some brown paper, & was munching on it. "Paneer kofta wrap. I found an Indian restaurant," she said coolly. He only grunted in response (even at the hint of her smile which he took to his liking).

Azula was all of a sudden serious again, uttering a single word, "Talk." **She sensed his apparent bitterness springing up; if it were left alone any longer it would defile his mood even more.**

Johnny would've frozen in awkwardness if he wasn't superpowered with the necessary heat he needed now. Again his head drooped by involuntary action - his emotions were seriously overpowering him. Azula gave him time to do the pondering & could finish her meal completely. Only then did Johnny begin,

"I asked you for the kung fu classes because.....," he rubbed his forehead with his palm, "I asked you because of......"

"Yeah?" her voice kept its calm volume.

"Because of something that's bothering me."

"'Bothering'? You mean, like it's still going on?"

"Yeah. It's been carrying on. Happens if I have a bad day, really."

"Could you explain a little more?"

They stood facing each other at a crooked angle for nearly a minute without a sound. Johnny plucked his courage, not to mention emotional strength,

"My mom died when I was a little kid. The same day I asked for your 'lessons', I saw some kid downtown. His mom, well, she really looked....," his words were getting vulnerable to cracks.

"Yeah, okay. I get it," she filled in nicely, almost soothingly.

"Phew!" he exhaled a gust of air lightly. His face looked freshened up well.

"Hey."

"Huh?"

"Don't hurt yourself. This ain't a date, right?" she smirked at him out of the blue.

"Well, I uhhh.....no! No, it ain't a date."

She laughed a laugh that resonated like a bell would. Spinning around, she stepped a little toward a trash can to dispose of the paper in her hand. Unbeknownst to her, he was smiling at her in a brand new way. If someone had witnessed that very moment - they would've noticed the difference in the blue of his eyes, too.

The two touched on similiar topics in their conversation on their way back, although they knew it'd be better not to be seen too close to each other.


End file.
